“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Scripture often uses “courageous” and “strong” as close brothers. These brothers are given by the Lord in times of battle where, I would assume, men would easily become frightened and dismayed. The best part of the verse is that these people can be courageous BECAUSE the Lord their God was with them wherever they went! How amazing is that? Amazing, but how can I apply that to my life? I don’t go to war to fight the county next to mine for their large grapes and fields.
Our lives, sisters, should be grounded in our theology. So when we think about courage, it should be defined by our faith. With that in mind, think of being courageous as a demonstration of your faith, in the face of opposition, that God is true to his word. We can face the fears and battles of today by trusting that what God said in His Word is true. Think about it, we won’t act courageous if we don’t confidently trust God’s word as true. If I don’t believe that God will look after my husband while he is deployed then I would not have the courage to be in another country with my baby alone. If I don’t believe that Christ came to pay my sin debt in full and gave me his righteousness so that I will be with God for eternity, I would live in fear of death. If I didn’t believe that my eternity is secure in heaven, I would live my life in fear of death and trying constantly to earn heaven. Instead, I can be courageous to tell others about Christ because I believe His Word and life is true. I can be courageous as a stay at home mom in the face of a feminine society that pressures me to find my worth outside of the home. I can be courageous being a single woman who loves God does not have to be complete with a man because I am complete in Christ. I can be courageous as a believer in Christ to stand up for Christ in a world that belittles our faith and Savior. We can be courageous in the face of disease and death because we know that this world is not our home. We have the hope of heaven because our sins have been forgiven!
The object of our faith (Christ) is what should make us courageous. The warriors thousands of years ago believed God’s Word was true and that gave them courage to fight their battles. God’s word is still true and the One who is called Truth is the reason that we can be courageous in our lives and not be frightened or dismayed.
Your Sister in Christ,
Colleen